Florida Marlins Q&A

ASK JUAN:

February 19, 2011|By Juan C. Rodriguez, SunSentinel.com

A: It's a fair question, but the Marlins have had a few success stories. No question Josh Johnson would be atop the list. He was a fourth-round pick. The Marlins have gotten some production from homegrown guys like Volstad, Tankersley and Scott Olsen when he was still here. Alex Sanabia made it to the majors this season as a former 33rd rounder. Plus, there's still hope for guys like Miller and Ceda, and West is still a baby in terms of his pro career. Some guys have gotten sidetracked because of injuries and others due to non-performance. The Marlins have some interesting arms on the horizon. A few names to watch in the coming seasons: Jhan Marinez, Chad James, Elih Villanueva, Arquimedes Caminero, Daniel Jennings and Edgar Olmos. What I would love to see is for one or two of these young bullpen arms to run with the opportunity when they get it. Guys like Tim Wood, Chris Leroux and Jay Buente haven't been able to stick.

Aug. 1, 2010

Q: If the season finally gets away from the Marlins, and they lose any real shot at the WC, is there a chance they could bring up Elih Villanueva and give him some starts? He is tearing up the minors...and he could be a stud for years to come. Vince, Washington, D.C.

A: Villanueva didn't even crack Baseball America's preseason Marlins' Top 30 prospects, but he'll be high on the list next year. In 22 starts for Double-A Jacksonville, he's 11-4 with a 2.30 ERA, 26 walks, 86 strikeouts and a .219 opponents' batting average in 145 innings. All things being equal, I don't think Villanueva gets a September call up. By the time the Double-A season ends the Marlins probably won't want to add any more to inning to his season total. A Miami native and product of Florida State, Villanueva could get the call if the Marlins find themselves in need of a starter because of injury or non-performance. For sure, look for him in big league camp next spring.

Q: The blame for not having a better record at this point in the season goes all to [owner Jeffrey] Loria. I feel that we lost this season way back in the off season when he decided not to invest in the bullpen. Profit margin is more important obviously then wins and losses. I want him held accountable for not only our short comings, but also for setting unachievable goals. We are overachieving with what management gave the team to work with and a good man (Fredi Gonzalez) lost his job because our owner is clueless. Your thoughts? Steve, Miami

A: I've said before I'm not a big proponent of dumping a bunch of money into the bullpen. Relievers are so volatile and it's risky to give them big-dollar, multi-year contracts. That said, of course it would have been nice for the Marlins to outbid everybody for Matt Capps, who signed with the Nationals for a year at $3.5 million, but I don't fault them for not bringing back Brendan Donnelley for the $1.35 million the Pirates gave him. I'm more concerned about the Marlins' inability to produce homegrown bullpen arms. The bullpen has been an issue for much of the season, but you can't lay all the blame there. The offense and starting pitching were wildly inconsistent at times. I don't agree that the Marlins are overachieving. No, I didn't agree with Loria's assessment that this was a playoff team in spring training, but the Marlins have enough talent to be an 85-win team.

Q: Why don't the Marlins go after Hank Blalock to replace Jorge Cantu? Blalock is a lefty who can provide power off the bench and split time with Wes Helms at third. Mary, Miami

A: The Marlins were in on Blalock late in spring training before he ultimately signed with the Rays, who designated for assignment at the end of June. To the best of my knowledge, Blalock has not found a new home. South Florida is an unlikely landing spot. Back when the Marlins were trying to sign him they viewed him as a left-handed pinch-hitter and backup at first. They had no intention of playing him at third. Wes Helms will get the bulk of the playing time at third with Hector Luna and possibly Donnie Murphy getting a start here and there.